AFP/Berlin


Goals are set to fly today as the Bundesliga’s most potent attack meets the league’s worst defence when leaders Bayern Munich host strugglers VfB Stuttgart in Germany’s southern derby.
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern are five points clear at the top of the table and are Germany’s only unbeaten team after 11 matches while Stuttgart are just above the relegation places.
Bayern’s star-studded attack inflicted a record 5-1 defeat on Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday as Thomas Mueller netted twice.
Between them Germany’s Mueller and Poland hot-shot Robert Lewandowski have netted 31 goals between them in all competitions, including 23 in Germany’s top-flight.
In contrast, Stuttgart only hauled themselves out of the bottom three last week and their leaky defence has conceded 23 goals so far—the joint worst record in the Bundesliga alongside bottom side Augsburg.
Stuttgart have lost their last 13 matches against Bayern in all competitions.
They will be missing key midfielder Martin Harnik, who needs an operation on a knee injury, but Australia winger Robbie Kruse is set to return from a hamstring strain.
“Our goal is to take a point,” said Stuttgart coach Alexander Zorniger, who was talking up his side’s chances by insisting ‘any side is beatable’.
Bayern dropped their first points of the season last Friday when they were held to a goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, who packed defenders behind the ball.
But Zorniger was realistic about his side’s chances against Germany’s top side.
“We are not going to play 90 minutes of counter-pressing, but we’re also not going to defend for 90 minutes, because we can’t do that,” he said.
“In Munich, you need to try and control the situation so that you don’t get hit by their big right hook.”
Stuttgart lost their opening five games of the season, but have shown a marked improvement of three wins, a draw and two defeats in their last six games. Bayern are the only team in Germany to have won all six home games so far this season. Their last loss at the Allianz Arena was against Stuttgart in March 2010.
The key clash of the weekend sees second-placed Borussia Dortmund host fourth-placed Schalke in the Ruhr Valley derby.
Borussia beat their rivals 3-0 the last time the teams met at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in February when the hosts fired in 31 shots compared to Schalke’s mere three—a new league record low. Borussia Moenchengladbach go in search of their seventh successive Bundesliga win under caretaker head coach Andre Schubert when they host Ingolstadt 04 at Borussia Park on Saturday looking to make Bundesliga history.
No coach has even won their first seven games in Germany’s top flight—even Bayern coach Pep Guardiola only managed to win his first three in 2013 -- and Schubert is poised to get the job full time after dragging Gladbach from bottom to fifth in the table.
Fixtures  
Today (1430 GMT unless stated)
Bayern Munich v VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen Cologne, Bor. Moenchengladbach v Ingolstadt, Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz 05 v VfL Wolfsburg, Darmstadt v Hamburg (1730)
Tomorrow
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke 04, Augsburg v Werder Bremen (1630)